Did you know that ocotillo likes to grow on limestone? When you see dense clusters of ocotillo, there's a good chance that it's limestone below the surface.
AZGS staff are participating in the BioBlitz at Saguaro National Park today and Saturday, helping explain the role of geology in the distribution of flora and fauna. BioBlitz is a 24 hour taxonomic inventory in the park carried out by the public under the guidance of National Geographic and the National Park Service, together with Friends of Saguaro National Park and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. [right, Saguaro NP Superintendent Darla Sidles accepting the BioBlitz flag from Biscayne National Park for the 2011 BioBlitz]
The fact about limestone and ocotillos is one I like to use when I lead my tours and the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. I mention Kartchner Caverns and the Ocotillos that grow near the original sinkhole.
ReplyDeleteI've seen healthy stands of ocotillos in many places where there is no limestone.
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